Your loved one may have been diagnosed with dementia. You might want to know the reasons why your loved ones might suffer from dementia. Also, to care for them, it is important to understand the consequences of dementia on your loved ones. Here is a practical guide to communicating with your loved ones so that they can enjoy the support of their family even with dementia.
Causes of Dementia
Research shows that dementia can occur if your loved ones’ brain cells have been damaged. Moreover, if your loved ones are suffering from dementia, the damaged cells’ results reduce the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. This would lead to a change in communication, thoughts, and behavior. Different parts of the brain might be damaged causing various types of dementia to occur.
Consequences of Dementia
If your loved ones are suffering from dementia, you may notice that they struggle in their communication with others. Your loved ones may find it difficult to perform basic tasks and struggle to make choices. They show poor judgment consistently and start to forget about recent events. Cognitively, they may have poor concentration and have difficulty in recognizing patterns or spaces. Socially, they withdraw from their friends and family, are not being interested in their hobbies, and become more moody than usual. Their ability for rational thinking will also decline. They may be unable to reason too. Their ability to process information will also decline.
Ways to Communicate with Your Loved Ones When They Have Dementia
- Try to speak slowly and clearly
If your loved ones are suffering from dementia and start to have trouble communicating, you can try to speak slowly and clearly. You may also want to use shorter sentences when talking to them. This will help them to process the conversation better and will aid in their response time too.
- Make eye contact with your loved ones
If your loved ones are suffering from dementia, make eye contact with your loved ones when they are communicating with you. It would assure them that you are listening to them. This will also reduce the risk of them not communicating with you.
- Give your loved ones time to answer
If your loved ones are struggling to communicate, you can provide them with ample time to respond. This will help reduce their stress levels. They will also be more willing to communicate with others too.
- Provide your loved ones with simple choices
If your loved ones are suffering from dementia, you may want to provide them with simple choices. This will help reduce the time taken for them to process the information.
Experience SHINE® Memory Care program at Discovery Village At Palm Beach Gardens
Even after learning about these ways, you may still struggle to communicate well with your loved ones. At Discovery Village At Palm Beach Gardens, we understand how difficult it might be to communicate with your loved ones who have dementia. So, our team provides personalized care to your loved ones to help them lead a meaningful life. Contact us to find out more!
